Ukraine agreed Tuesday to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, according to a joint statement from the U.S. State Department and Ukraine.
Ukraine agreed to the deal after Secretary of State Marco Rubio led negotiations with Ukrainian diplomats in Saudi Arabia Tuesday, with peace pending the approval of the Kremlin, according to the statement. The U.S. will also “immediately” restore weapons and intelligence aid to Ukraine during the interim.
“Ukraine expressed readiness to accept the U.S. proposal to enact an immediate, interim 30-day ceasefire, which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, and which is subject to acceptance and concurrent implementation by the Russian Federation,” the statement said. “The United States will communicate to Russia that Russian reciprocity is the key to achieving peace.”
President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to visit Moscow on Thursday to speak with Russia President Vladimir Putin about the proposal, according to Axios. It is unclear whether Putin will accept the terms of the deal.
The proposal comes after negotiations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Trump over a mineral extraction deal went up in flames in the Oval Office in a heated exchange. Just days later, Zelenskyy apologized for the incident and reiterated his interest in the mineral deal and peace.
Trump threatened to turn the screws on Putin Friday in the wake of the Kremlin’s massive attack against Ukrainian infrastructure, saying he was “strongly considering” sanctions and tariffs on Russia. On the same day of the talks, Ukraine launched its own drone wave targeting Moscow, the largest attack of its kind on the Russian capital.
The war has raged on for three years, claiming tens of thousands of lives and costing the U.S. over $170 billion in aid.
“The ball is in their court,” Rubio said Tuesday.
The State Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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